From Dan Conti, Kentucky Public Radio/WMKY, MoreheadRepublican Congressman Geoff Davis is blasting healthcare overhaul legislation approved Friday by majority Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee.The Kentucky lawmaker says the measure calls for massive new taxes on employers."The Democrat proposal penalizes employers who can’t afford to offer health insurance, penalizes employers for employees decisions to take another type of insurance, penalizes employers that offer the wrong type of insurance, penalizes employers that don’t contribute enough to insurance and penalizes employers that paperwork errors. All of this in compliance with an as yet to be determined arbitrary health plan," Davis told colleagues.Davis says the bill requires businesses to either offer plans that meet government mandates or pay an eight percent payroll tax. He says if an individual worker rejects the healthcare plan provided by his or her employer, the business must still pay an eight percent tax on the employee's wages.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.